Chefs are trained in the culinary arts to create recipes for delicious meals, prepare dishes and supervise a kitchen, including ordering food, pricing menu items and supervising staff. They usually have more training than even regular "line cooks" who prepare the food and consequently have greater earnings potential. Chefs may work in restaurants, either as head chefs or sous chefs, or in other environments, such as private homes, hospitals or schools.

Chefs are trained in the culinary arts to create recipes for delicious meals, prepare dishes and supervise a kitchen, including ordering food, pricing menu items and supervising staff. They usually have more training than even regular "line cooks" who prepare the food and consequently have greater earnings potential. Chefs may work in restaurants, either as head chefs or sous chefs, or in other environments, such as private homes, hospitals or schools.

Average Salary

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean annual wage for chefs working in the United States as of May 2011 was $46,600. The top 10 percent of earners made $74,060 or more, while the lowest 10 percent made $24,770 or less. According to the All Culinary Schools website, salary was dependent on factors such as work environment, education, experience and location.

Salary Breakdown

One of the major differences in what chefs get paid is their job description. According to All Culinary Schools, an executive chef in charge of a kitchen earned a median salary of $67,995 as of June 2012, while a sous chef who reports to the executive chef earned a median salary of $42,501.

Personal Chefs

Some chefs work in a private household rather than a restaurant or other eating establishment. Private chefs work for one particular household on a daily basis, while personal chefs work for multiple clients throughout a week or month. These chefs made a mean annual wage of $31,080, according to the BLS, with the potential to make $45,120 or more in the top 10 percent of earners. The lowest 10 percent made $18,250 or less.

Lower-Paying Jobs

Sometimes trained culinary chefs, particularly at the start of their careers, may work in lower-ranked kitchen jobs. These include cooking assistant, which paid a median salary of $25,076, according to All Culinary Schools, or even line cook, which paid a median rate of $21,874. These jobs reflected the average pay for restaurant cooks, which was $23,410 a year according to the BLS. These cooks are responsible for the day-to-day preparation of food, as opposed to the chefs who have menu and personnel supervisory duties.

2016 Salary Information for Chefs and Head Cooks

Chefs and head cooks earned a median annual salary of $43,180 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, chefs and head cooks earned a 25th percentile salary of $32,230, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $59,080, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 146,500 people were employed in the U.S. as chefs and head cooks.

About the Author

Eric Strauss spent 12 years as a newspaper copy editor, eventually serving as a deputy business editor at "The Star-Ledger" in New Jersey before transitioning into academic communications. His byline has appeared in several newspapers and websites. Strauss holds a B.A. in creative writing/professional writing and recently earned an M.A. in English literature.